Never Threaten Bogg's Kid:
by Bunny1
Summary: Starts with a missing scene from "An Arrow Pointing East" and continues from there. Little John threatening Jeffrey still bothered Bogg more than he wanted to admit...
1. Chapter 1

_"We were here first; you should really move aside." Jeff had said boldly._

 _"I think it's you who'll be moving aside, boy; or I'll tan your hide until it's as many colours as a beggar's cloak!" Little John had answered._

 _The way Bogg had tensed, his posture angry, his handsome features pulled into a deep frown, Jeffrey knew that he had gone into protective mode, and that the much-larger man could be in for it. "Hey, don't talk to my kid that way." Bogg had seethed. He didn't know who this ape thought he was, but he wasn't letting anyone threaten- or scare- his kid. And if that animal thought he was laying hands on Jeff? Well, that just wasn't happening..._

After a short battle with staffs- which Bogg _lost_ \- Little John had declared him a good fighter and was much nicer. He also seemed grateful that the kid helped Robin Hood get better. But, still, despite the mission, Bogg unconsciously kept himself inserted between Jeff and the large man. The threat earlier may have been an off-the-cuff remark from a frustrated and cranky man, but he still had not apologized. And this was a century where beating a child was just considered normal discipline..It didn't matter about the first loss. It didn't matter about the sheer size. If anyone touched his kid, it would be the last mistake they ever made...

Jeffrey was walking back from the river with clean cloths to again tend Robin's wound, Bogg close by his side. The boy looked surprised, however, as he tried to hand over the cloth to Little John, Bogg stopped him and handed them off himself.

"What do I do next?" Asked Little John.

"Press them gently over the wound," Jeff said, frowning a bit as Bogg moved when he did, practically blocking him from view. "Bogg, can you help over here?"

Bogg nodded, moving behind him and walking back down to the pond. "What do you need me to do, Kid?"

"Are... You OK?" Jeffrey asked suddenly.

"Yeah, fine... Why?"

Jeffrey shrugged. "You're tense," he said delicately. "More hovery than usual."

"Don't like it here." Bogg shrugged. "While we're here you'll just have to stick extra close, OK?"


	2. Chapter 2

Jeffrey nodded. "If you say so," he promised. "but, we _are_ still helping, right?"

Bogg smiled, ruffling Jeff's curly hair. "Never turned down a red light yet," he assured. "Some places just make me more nervous than others..."

"Like a 'Spidey-Sense'?" Jeff asked him.

"A _what_?"

Jeff grinned. "It's from a comic book; it just means your instincts are on higher alert than usual, like you sense danger?" He explained.

"Ohhhh..." Bogg nodded. "Yes, I think that explanation fits nicely," he agreed. "This place makes me have Spider Sense."

Jeff tried, but he couldn't hold back the giggle. "Not _Spider Sense_ , it's _Spidey-Sense_ ," he corrected, though not unkindly.

"Yeah, whatever; this place feels dangerous."

"You ever get this feeling before?" Jeffrey asked, tilting his head in curiosity.

"Couple of times," Bogg shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. "I usta always be able to ignore it,push it down for the good of the mission. Now..."

"Now what?"

"Now it's not just _me_ out here..." Bogg hedged. "I mean, most of the time, just having you with me makes everything twice as good," he admitted. "But, sometimes... I worry about you being safe. If I didn't love ya I wouldn't."

Jeffrey smiled. "I know, I love you too, duh." He said, and gave his surrogate father a hug, which Bogg welcomed. "But, seriously, I think we're OK?"

Bogg sighed. "For now," he conceded. "But you can you please just trust my instincts?"

Jeffrey sighed, but he could see how serious the big guy was, and if Bogg was worried... Well... "OK, just don't leave me behind, promise?" He demanded, his large chocolate eyes wide and serious.

Bogg pulled him in for another hug. "Never, kid. Never... and that's a promise..."


	3. Chapter 3

After helping Robin Hood to rescue Maid Marian, Bogg and Jeffrey knew it was time to go. But, there was a party in Sherwood Forest, and for once the kid was eating up the female attention. Not that Bogg could blame him; Marian was a comely brunette who was plying him with sweets and dousing motherly type affection on him. He hated to take the kid away from it, honestly, but they couldn't _stay_...

"Smoke?" a baritone voice, suddenly behind him offered.

He looked over at Little John, smoking a long, thin pipe, and then shook his head. "I only smoke once in a while," he admitted, "when it helps me,"

 _Like during card games or lighting dynamite_...

"But I try not to around Jeffrey; he gets all wheezy and a headache."

Little John nodded. "of course," he said, taking a long drag. "You're a good Da."

Bogg flushed a bit. "Thanks. I try."

"You staying on?"

"We can't; we actually should have been gone already, but I thought he could do with a break."

"Nother couple of days, though... you might have come at least close to my level in combat..."

"Yeah, but I'm not really mad at you at the moment, so there isn't exactly a good reason to." Bogg admitted, not rising to the older man's bait. He loped over to where Jeffrey was.

"Bogg, you _gotta_ try these cookies!" the boy grinned wide, holding some out to him. "They're the best _ever_!"

Bogg grinned, popping one in his mouth. He had to admit, they melted on the tongue and tasted equal parts sugary and spicy, like gingerbread should. "Very good, Milady." He smiled at Marian.

Marian smiled back. "Thank you; it's one of the few things I know how to make," she admitted. "but I am glad you like them."

"Jeffrey, we really have to get going, though.."

"Aw, do you have to?" Marian pouted.

"Sorry, M'am;" Jeffrey put in, "but we adventurers have to keep moving."

Marion smiled and kissed both their cheeks. "Well, thank you both..."

Jeffrey and Bogg waved, walking away from the ever-more-racous party, deeper into the woods before pressing the Omni...


End file.
